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Want more public attendance at your events? Make sure your signs include this specific phrase

By Becky McCray

Sign says, "Almost everyone welcome!"

  You do some events that are open to the public, right? Here’s the tip to get more locals to attend. When you hold an event that is open to the public, put up a sign that says, “Open to everyone! Come on in!” Of course you know it’s open to the public, and of […]

February 18, 2019 Filed Under: community, entrepreneurship, marketing, mistakes, rural

2 Questions to stop you from throwing good money after bad

By Small Biz Survival

Guest post by Micah Lorenc Let’s talk about a topic that’s commonplace in business schools, but not as familiar to rural small businesses. I’m talking about Sunk Costs. I recently had a conversation with a close friend who is pursuing a new business opportunity, building a gym in a small, rural town in Southern Utah. […]

November 26, 2018 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, management, mistakes, rural Tagged With: guest post

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

By Becky McCray

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

  Let’s look at the tale of two small town concerts. Concert 1: We’ve done all the work, you just need to show up! One happened at an agritourism business. They brought in a couple of professional musicians for performances out at the farm. The musicians were reasonably well known, with some previous exposure on […]

October 15, 2018 Filed Under: Best of, community, entrepreneurship, marketing, mistakes, rural Tagged With: idea friendly

Shipping container businesses downtown: don’t make this big mistake

By Becky McCray

Lots of big cities have started shipping container business villages. I love the idea. But many of them are making a huge mistake that I don’t want to see small towns copy. The Big Mistake: Ignoring the street My friend Carlos Moreno of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pointed this out. Here’s a picture of the Boxyard in […]

September 24, 2018 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, mistakes, rural

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